No. 2 Texas outlasted Marquette in five sets behind Torrey Stafford’s double-double and a dominant fifth frame to earn its first win of 2026.
No. 2 Texas volleyball needed a response, and the Longhorns delivered one the hard way.
Texas earned its first win of the 2026 season Monday night, surviving Marquette in a five-set battle at the AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee, 22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 15-8.
The Longhorns improved to 1-1, and the biggest reason was the way they finished.
After splitting the first four sets, Texas came out in the fifth and completely changed the tone.
The Longhorns scored the first five points and never looked back, hitting an absurd .529 in the deciding set.
That was the closing punch they needed.
Torrey Stafford led the way with 19 kills and 12 digs, giving her a double-double while hitting .341.
Cari Spears was just as dangerous, finishing with 17 kills, seven digs and four service aces while hitting .371.
Abby Vander Wal added 14 kills, two aces and four blocks, while Rella Binney matched a career high with 36 assists and also collected 11 digs.
The deeper numbers tell the story of how Texas settled in.
The Longhorns hit just .141 through the first two sets, then found a completely different gear. They hit .343 in the third, .278 in the fourth and .529 in the fifth.
That kind of progression matters.
Texas also finished with 10 service aces, and Nya Bunton controlled the net with a match-high seven blocks.
Marquette made Texas work for everything. The Golden Eagles took the opening set and forced a fifth by edging Texas 25-23 in the fourth.
But once the final frame started, the Longhorns looked like the No. 2 team in the country.
Three straight kills from Spears helped Texas seize immediate control.
Stafford added two more during the early surge, and the Longhorns kept the pressure on until Vander Wal and Spears closed the match with the final three kills.
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t easy.
But it was exactly the kind of win that can toughen up a team early.
Texas now heads to Las Vegas for another ranked test Saturday against No. 18 TCU in the Players Era Volleyball Showcase.
First serve is set for 9 p.m. CT on FS1.
